The Good Sister is a tale of two sisters, Fern and Rose, who rely on Rose to help Fern with her quirks. Rose slowly reveals the past and the sisters are now confronted with the future. Only....who should decide what the future is? And what really did happen in the past?

The first half of the book was extremely strong, and I LOVED almost every single minute. Fern is a very analytical and literal person who often relies on rules to help her manage societal interactions, many of which are hilarious. There were so many laugh out loud moments (possibly some tricks that I should consider implementing). It was really such a joy to read the first half.

But then I remember oh wait, isn't this book supposed to be a thriller? For the second half of the book, it was largely predictable and crafted to throw in the thriller element. Personally, I believe that this book would have been better off just focusing on Fern than introducing the thriller component. However, it was still a very enjoyable read, and it was really well laid out - clear who was speaking. I definitely enjoyed this one!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth.

There are so many wonderful things to say about The Good Sister. I don't want to go into too much detail to give away the book.

The relationship between twin sisters is a fascinating thing and I loved how Sally Hepworth uses the dual narrators of Fern and Rose to tell their story. The way she weaves in their past with the present and wondering which sister is telling the truth.

Highly recommend reading this!

The Good Sister is compulsively readable; I ended up finishing it in two sittings over a weekend because it was quick to read and I’d get sucked in to the story. The first 30% or so I almost started to wonder if this was going to be a thriller or if I was actually reading a romance, but then the tension starts to build and then the mystery unravels.

The story alternates between the present day lives of twins Rose and Fern and their tumultuous childhood. The pieces start to fall into place and you might guess where things are going, but even up to the last page the drama is still unfolding. Recommend this one if you like thrillers that aren’t graphic or family dramas!

The Good Sister is about two fraternal twin sisters, Fern and Rose. Fern has some sensory processing issues which leads to minor difficulties in every day life. Thankfully, her sister Rose is there to help her function. Rose is a big part of Ferns life until she meets Wally who challenges everything she knows about her sister.

I really enjoyed the character development. I have fond memories of libraries growing up and Fern works in a library which made me connect with her. I thought this was beautifully written. I was intrigued from the beginning and it was a quick, fun read!

Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: April 13, 2021

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins who have always been very close.
Due to some sensory issues, Fern struggles with some parts of life and relies on Rose as her best friend and confidant.
Until Fern meets Wally.

Hepworth is a great character writer and I have enjoyed all of her books. This one took a slight turn down a main stream / commercial angle of writing a book with a "twist"(although it is easily spotted about a third through) and although this will make a more profitable book, I don't think it made a better one.
I love Hepwoth's writing style and her ability to explore quite complex relationships., but she didn't really have a chance to showcase this in this novel. [book:The Things We Keep|25663807] and [book:The Mother-in-Law|46251368] are two of her best and I would recommend you read them even if you found this book a bit average.

I am still giving 4 stars because the book was an easy read, enjoyable, and had me turning the pages. I just know she can do so much more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I owe a huge thanks to St. Martin’s and Netgalley for letting me read this one early. This book will be published on April 13!

Welp. I read this one in less than 24 hours! I love stories about twins and this mystery was so enthralling!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Some may say this one is a slow burn but I really enjoyed the character development and I couldn’t put it down. Fern is absolutely fascinating and I found myself really enjoying her take on the world. There are just so many likable characters in this book and that’s my favorite part. This book is a winding, fascinating look into family dynamics and I can’t recommend it enough.

Rose seems to have it all together all while taking care of her twin sister, Fern. According to Rose, Fern needs her and couldn’t survive without her. According to Rose, Fern has needed her since they were born. According to Rose......but what if life isn’t exactly how Rose makes it appear? In this thrilling, page turning, binge worthy novel you will be wondering what exactly is the truth and what is fiction. A must read by the ever popular Sally Hepworth.

I went into this book blind. I didn’t read the book description at all. I was sent this book as an advanced copy and I LOVED it.

This book goes back and forth between the POV of each sister and also switches between past and present.

The story is a fast read and not a slow burn. Between the sisters you easily find Fern captivating from the beginning. She has a disability where she gets sensory overload when there are loud sounds, touching and bright lights. She also thinks on a very different level for her age. She is one that will do anything for her sister.

Rose is the caretaker of Fern all her life. Always helping Fern with decisions and keeping her life on track. She is married and has found out she cannot have children. Seeing Rose sadden by this news Fern steps in to help.

This book is well written and I didn’t not find any part of that could have been left out. I read this book in 2.5 days which is a record for me. It was like finding a great series on Netflix that you just have to binge watch all the way through.

I would put this into the family drama / suspense genre.

Will be adding review to Amazon and B&N on the day the book is published.

I guess I will be the lone dissenter. Yes, this was a quick read but did not have any depth and was easy to determine the ending within the first 3rd of the book. Who really is the "good sister"? Fraternal twins, Fern and Rose, grew up with a single mother. Like all stories and perspectives, there are two sides. Fern is the one who must have order and routine in her life and cannot tolerate loud noises or bright lights. She thrives in her world of books and the library. Rose lives the "perfect" life with the only thing lacking is a child. Their two lives are intertwined, both good and bad.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an enthralling novel with a twist of domestic suspense.
Rose and Fern are fraternal twins who grew up in a traumatic childhood with a very narcissistic mother.
Fern has sensory issues, so Rose has spent her life being Fern’s protector.
But as Fern grows older and begins changing, she realizes that Rose has” hidden secrets.”
Who is the “good sister?” Read to find out.
I received a free arc from Net Galley for an honest review.

This was a good solid read! While not a pulse pounding, edge of your seat thriller, I was no less invested. The first 40-50% of the novel is just getting to know the sisters, their lives, and the dynamic between the two. Normally this would frustrate me - I like to get straight into the drama - but it works extremely well for this novel. I loved getting to know the characters, especially Fern. When things did start to pick up I could not put this book down because I had to know the ending. I even read in the car which never ends well for me 😂 Worth it though, the ending did not disappoint!

I read Hepworth’s, The Mother-in-law, and enjoyed it - this one is even better. Pick this up if you want a gripping psychological thriller with great characters you can’t help but want to know more about.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth pulls you in from the very beginning. It is a domestic drama/thriller which explores the relationship between twin sisters Fern and Rose, who are quite different from one another despite being twins. Told in alternating points of view, this book explores the secrets of each sister, as well as their traumatic childhood experiences. It will leave you continually guessing which one is the “good sister.”

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this boom in exchange for my honest review.

This mystery thriller written in 2 different voices: 1 in Fern’s voice and the other from Rose’s journal kept me up late to finish it. Fern and Rose are fraternal twins. Fern is neurotypical and Rose appears to have the perfect life. But all is not as it seems. Fern and Rose appear to have what is a good relationship but something just doesn’t seem quite right. Their mother overdosed when they were 12 and they spent the rest of their childhood in foster care.
Rose seems to be part caretaker of Fern but as Fern starts to find her own life outside of Rose, things start to go awry. I don’t want to write too much for fear of giving anything away. If you enjoy suspenseful mysteries, you will most likely enjoy this book.

Wow, this was one twisted sister tale!

It didn’t take any time for me to get completely caught up in this story. It was so easy to picture Rose and Fern fraternal twins, one of them apparently on the spectrum and the other her protector. What an awful childhood they had. Is it any wonder the issues they faced as adults? My heart hurt for them.

While Fern is never officially diagnosed, her condition is pretty obvious. She’s highly functioning and I fell completely in love with her. She was totally charming in such an innocent way and I realize that was due to her autism, but the way this author portrayed her had me loving her, wanting to hug her (even though that would be a no-go) and laughing at the way she inadvertently pulled others into her world.

Rose was fiercely protective of Fern. Her whole life revolved around her. She was an amazing older sister and Fern would have been lost without her. I worried about her other relationships and how Fern’s presence affected them.

Much of this is written in a journal type of format that gives us glimpses into the past. With each new entry we are given, a clearer picture begins to form. I began to question the title along with the words on the page and soon I was vacillating between who truly was the good sister and why were they not considered good?

This has a very thin veil of darkness running through it but the question is to which twin is it contributed to?

Another winner from the lovely Sally Hepworth! I’ve been a fan of her writing for about five years now. I clearly remember finding a copy of The Secrets of Midwives at my local library, devouring it, and then (im)patiently waiting every year for her to release a new one. Her writing has changed a bit over the years, I’d say. It’s gradually switched gears from your typical women’s fiction revolving around family, marriage, motherhood, friendship, and added some dark and twisty suspense. Things have now gotten a little edgier, and quite thrilling at times. I’d describe her most recent novels as mystery/thriller/women’s fiction mash-ups. The Good Sister is a good blend of the two genres that Hepworth excels at. We have tons of family drama surrounding a set of twin sisters, with just a touch of creepiness and intrigue that keeps you on your toes. Both sisters had me scratching my head at times. They both seemed to be hiding something, and their relationship seemed a bit off. Things just weren’t adding up, and I had no idea who to believe! I kept going back and forth, losing trust in each sister as the novel progressed. To be perfectly honest, it wasn’t my favorite from the author, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely a solid read! The Good Sister releases on April 13th, and I highly recommend you pick up a copy. I give it 4/5 twisty stars!

Enjoyable, easy read about two sisters and the differences between them, couched in a mystery, clues of which are scattered along the way. The main character, Fern, is quirky and interesting, and the story kept me reading nonstop to the end, even though by the midway mark, I had an idea of how it might play out. At first, I didn't really warm to Fern, and since the book is written mostly in her voice, I found it hard to get past that. I agree with others that this is a perfect beach read!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley, author Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 stars
Trigger warnings: Drinking and drug use and talk of sexual assaults of a child.
This was my first book I have read by author Sally Hepworth and it won't be my last.
This book had so many layers of family drama, a psychological thriller about twin sisters and the lengths one might go using those bonds to get what one desire. They say "Family is everything!"
Fern and Rose have lived through a difficult childhood with a single mother. Knowing that both they can only depend on each other, especially when it seems Fern is on the spectrum and Rose is diagnosed with childhood diabetes. As an adult, Rose has always wanted a child, but has yet to conceive. Fern has always known Rose would take care of her, so Fern found herself willing to get pregnant and give the child to her sister. After all it is the least she could do for her sister. But as the time for her baby is to be born, Fern starts to notice Rose is not acting like the sister she has always been. Has something recently caused Rose to change or has Rose always been this way?
This book was a crazy ride! The narrators seemed to be unreliable in recalling events of the past especially in regard to the treatment by their mother. I found myself drawn into the story and could not put this book down because I had to know what was going to happen next. The author did a great job misleading and causing the readers to question which narrator was telling the truth as well as what was the outcome the narrator was hoping to happen. The ending was wrapped up nicely and was satisfactory. Overall, I would recommend this book to those who like family mystery thrillers. I can't wait to read more books by this author!

This was such a good story! This is my second Sally Hepworth, and I really think she is just an awesome writer! This story features the relationship between two sisters, one with some sensory sensitivities. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story and found that it helped to shape the entire story so well!

The thriller aspect of this was pretty good. I feel like it's a bit more of a suspense and mystery. I really enjoyed the twists along the way, and was really happy with the ending!

I highly recommend this one for domestic thriller lovers!

I am primarily a biography/non-fiction reader, but received an email from the publisher inviting me to read this book...since I enjoyed her previous offering "The Mother-in-Law" so much. Indeed, I had rated it 5 Stars. I am also rating this one 5 Stars.

The story focuses on fraternal twin sisters Fern and Rose, and their sociopathic mother. We primarily find out about Rose via her diary excerpts where she recounts numerous incidents of mental abuse from her mother. She often took the blame for bad things that Fern did so that their Mom wouldn't punish her. You see, Fern is on the Asperger's spectrum. She sees the world in very black and white terms. I actually loved this character. Fern works in a library as a librarian. She has always loved books and the library. She is in her happy place. She's a wonderful worker in this environment, but doesn't want to be involved at all with problems with the copy machines. Fern loves to wear clothes with rainbows and sparkly sneakers. I love the way she picks apart things in her mind that people say to her, making sense of it. She has trouble looking people straight in the eyes unless it's strictly a staring contest. She cannot bear being in noisy crowds or being touched. Frankly, I enjoyed her common sense approach to life.

Rose has a strained marriage to Owen, who is away on a business venture in London. She suffers from an infertility problem and is focused on getting pregnant. Rose has always fretted over Fern, having dinner dates with her regularly throughout the week and in general keeping an eye out for her well-being. When Fern finds out that Rose is desperate to have a baby, she wishes that she could help her- since Rose has always looked out for her.

There is another likeable character in the book named Rocco, who came into the library one day. He went straight for the bathrooms and Fern mistook him for a homeless person. When Fern first saw him she thought he looked like Wally of "Where's Wally" fame. Even after learning his real name, she kept calling him Wally!

A very engaging story unfolded that kept me tethered close to the end. I love her writing style. I was never bored, and her characters were well crafted. She's an author I will keep coming back to for a great work of fiction.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an advance readers copy via NetGalley.

THE GOOD SISTER by SALLY HEPWORTH is an absolutely wonderful novel that immediately sucked me in.
I loved the premise of this one and the relationship between the sisters. Fern was probably one of the best characters I have read in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed her and Wally! This book had me completely hooked and I read it really fast. That is one of my tell tale signs that lets me know if it is an entertaining and enjoyable read for me. This was both and I couldn't put it down!